Introduction
Metabolic syndrome is a chronic condition requiring multiple visits to healthcare facilities, including therapy and lab services. Even though this condition is chronic, it can aggravate instantly, which foregrounds the need for constant control of the patient’s physical state. The metabolic syndrome supposes that the patient has hypertension, diabetes, abdominal visceral obesity, and insulin resistance (McCracken et al., 2018). There is a vital need to control the insulin level of patients with metabolic syndrome, assign medications for hypertension, and receive regular recommendations from the therapist concerning physical activity, diet, and lifestyle habits the patient should develop (Myers et al., 2019). This paper describes five domains of quality improvement in a healthcare environment: patients’ access to it, structure, processes, outcomes, and patient experience.
Access
It has limited healthcare access results from the under-insurance of many vulnerable social groups. It is especially critical for immigrant populations who do not have legal permission to stay in the United States. In addition, poor people do not have insurance that covers the treatment of the metabolic syndrome and supposes regular visits to the healthcare facility (Fahed et al., 2022). At the same time, the number of people suffering from metabolic syndrome is higher among African American and Hispanic populations (Fahed et al., 2022). Abdominal visceral obesity often develops from low physical activity, a sedentary lifestyle, and unhealthy dieting habits that are widespread among these categories of people (Fahed et al., 2022). It leads to the gradual development of insulin resistance and hypertension, that also signs of metabolic syndrome (McCracken et al., 2018). The solution to this problem is improving insurance policies to provide all vulnerable populations equal access to healthcare.
Structure
The structure of healthcare provision to patients with metabolic syndrome is centered around the patient’s consent to continue treatment. The main issue is that a lifestyle change is an optimal solution for patients with this chronic condition s(McCracken et al., 2018). They must reduce their BMI, follow healthy dieting recommendations, introduce regular physical activity, control tension and insulin, and take medications when needed (McCracken et al., 2018). In other words, the main challenge in this category is a clear understanding of the treatment plan among patients with metabolic syndrome. Improved communication between the therapist and the patient is the primary step in achieving this goal and improving the patient’s experience.
Process
The problem connected with the processes of providing quality care for patients with chronic conditions is the lack of attention to patient details. Some issues might seem insignificant for the physician and the patient because they are used to prolonged chronic pains and inconveniences (Myers et al., 2019). As a result, it is possible not to see the new dangerous symptom or the change in the patient’s health state. This situation can be solved by elaborating a more patient-centered approach that supposes adequate communication with the person (Myers et al., 2019). The physician should be cautious concerning all possible changes in the patient’s state because the metabolic syndrome can aggravate dramatically and lead to significant health impairment or even death.
Outcome
The challenge the patient with metabolic syndrome can face concerning treatment outcomes is the ineffectiveness of the medical services. The problem is that the patient’s overall health is affected by several important issues, including prediabetes, obesity, osteoarthritis, and hypertension. The paleopathology of metabolic syndrome is an increase in insulin resistance combined with fatty acid flux (McCracken et al., 2018). In all cases, the cause of metabolic syndrome development depends on patients’ individual characteristics. It is impossible to claim that obesity is a significant factor in developing other metabolic syndrome diseases, even though it is the most common visual sign of the condition. It is possible to increase the effectiveness of treatment only with individual attention to every patient’s condition and combined methods of diagnosis and treatment.
Patient experience
The challenges in patient experience with metabolic syndrome are connected with the complex chronic condition treatment and poor communication with the healthcare provider concerning this issue. Many patients do not understand the critical need to change their diet and level of physical activity (Myers et al., 2019). Some of them do not know how to measure insulin and blood tension and do not do it. The medication for this complex chronic condition requires a clear vision of the diagnosis (Myers et al., 2019). Therefore, it allows us to assume that improving the communication between therapists, nurses, and patients can improve this situation. As a result, healthcare quality will increase significantly, and many people with metabolic syndrome will develop a more conscious attitude toward their chronic state and how to cope with it.
Employee Experience
A low level of patient awareness of their diagnosis and low motivation to treat the metabolic syndrome complicates nurses’ and physicians’ work. Patients with this chronic condition do not see instant positive changes in their quality of life when they start following healthcare providers’ recommendations. In addition, changing their lifestyle is a complicated process that requires effort and time from patients with metabolic syndrome. As a result, most patients quit and do not follow the medical plan, thinking that their chronic condition can not be treated completely (McCracken et al., 2018). Therefore, there is no need to change the lifestyle at all. It is possible to address this issue in the employee’s experience by sharing responsibility for the patient’s supervision between the therapist, the nurse, and the patient’s family.
Conclusion
Metabolic syndrome is connected with high risks for the patient’s health, which makes regular check-ups and control of the physical state in the healthcare institution necessary. For this reason, there is a vital need to make the patient’s experience as flawless as possible. They are improving the accessibility of the services and making the processes of providing medical assistance more structured and patient-centered. Such problems as the neglect of the details in the patient’s health history, lack of attention to changing the patient’s lifestyle according to the medical recommendations, poor communication with the patient, and high wait time are among the most evident problems that people with metabolic syndrome face. Due to the high level of morbidity among patients with metabolic syndrome, these issues should receive precise attention from healthcare providers to save lives.
References
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